Awaiting Avery

American Girl Place!!!!

2010-04-24T21:32:00.005-04:00

What a great weekend! A girlfriend of mine invited Avery and I to tag along with her little girl (Avery's age) and sister and niece (1 year old) to AMERICAN GIRL PLACE in Chicago! What a great time! We had "brunch" at the cafe and Avery's bitty baby sat right beside her. We even had flowerpot with mousse in it for dessert! A little info on the American Girl Place experience: It follows different girls throughout American history. Each doll has different accessories and interesting stories. The theme of all is for girls to be confident and respectful. Then there are "bitty babies" and "bitty twins", all with accessories too. Avery has the Asian bitty baby. I did break down at Christmas and get her a matching nightgown. I was on a mission to buy bitty twins (mixed and matched, one blonde and one asian), but they were out of the Asian bitty twin. Bummer! I did break down and buy doll and Avery matching t-shirts. This store is amazing! There was a doll hospital, hair salon (for your doll), design a tshirt for you doll, photo studio, and so much more! You can even buy different outfits that match the girl and doll. However, you could easily spend a small fortune in this store, so I am very thankful that Avery is still in the stuffed animal phase for right now! She loved it though, we will be back!!!!

Avery is going to be 2!

2010-04-20T21:30:00.003-04:00

It's hard to believe our little angel will be 2 in May. Time is going by way too fast! We have been very busy with Blake's adoption paperwork, running to "choo choo" (aka Kindermusik), visiting the zoo, and enjoying the Indiana spring weather. So for your viewing pleasure is our Avery at her 2nd birthday photo shoot by her AWESOME aunt Sarah!

Easter and Spring has Sprung!!!

2010-04-11T20:37:00.004-04:00

We had a great Easter, we went to a "Bunny Bash", then had 2 Easter Egg hunts. We were exhausted! Avery only stood by the Easter bunny because her cousins did!

We had such a great weekend, got alot accomplished! I painted Blake's room, Dan and I did some yard work, organized and re-organized things from "the move", and now trying to catch up on normal housework! It looks like this week is going to be beautiful!

Big Girl Bed and New Pic of Blake!

2010-04-01T13:34:00.004-04:00

What a beautiful April 1st (no foolin'!). Avery has gone almost 2 weeks with only one accident! Potty training, check. Next attempt, switch out crib to a toddler bed. Here is daddy explaining to come wake up mommy and daddy in the morning,

Then Avery learned to slide out of the bed by holding on

After she mastered that, Benny decided to try it out too.

She has done so well with both potty traning and sleeping in her "big girl bed". We are so proud of her! We received a new update on Blake today too! He is "a passive baby, except when hungry". he has been smiling more, and is a flirt! He is growing in lenght too. They tell us he is a happy baby! It has been a little over a month, and we are at a standstill until more help comes in Taiwan. Four families will be with their children this week, so we hope that our paperwork can be started then. We know he is in excellent hands until we get to hold him in our arms!
Our bedroom/bath addition is almost done! Our furniture should be here tomorrow, so we could spend our first night in our new bedroom tomorrow night! Dan is excited to be done (so am I!). Then we are going to start Blake's room!!!! Happy Easter!

Fun in Indy!

2010-03-23T05:54:00.005-04:00

We went to Indy to have federal fingerprinting done for Blake to become a US citizen when he "steps foot" on American soil. So we went to Indy and spent the day at the Children's museum, ate some yummy food, and spent the night. We had a great time, a much needed family getaway. The hotel pool was out of order, so we watched Purdue win in overtime (Avery loves watching basketball with daddy). We had our fingerprints done (got out a little early too!) and ate lunch at the Cheesecake Factory before heading home.

Avery going down the slide at the Bob the Builder exhibit. She loves saying "Yes we Can!"

Using a table saw, just don't cut your thumb like daddy did!

On Bob's Bulldozer

A classroom like the one Ruby Bridges attended, daddy liked showing Avery where "mommy sat in school" then took her to the back desks and showed her "where daddy sat in school".

Riding a moped in Egypt

Hitching a ride on an alligator

Walking the catwalk at a Barbie fashion show, she stopped to pose for pictures,

Avery striking a pose

In front of a real "choo choo"

Back home, the princess policegirl!

Still waiting on paperwork from Taiwan, they are extremely busy and shorthanded, a couple of adoptions are wrapping up in the next couple of months, so hopefully when they are completed we will get ours rolling. Thanks for the prayers!

New Pics of Blake!

2010-03-08T05:53:00.005-05:00

We received new pics and update of Blake last night. He is crying less, loves to snuggle, and started "cooing" a couple of days ago. We spoke with the directors granddaughters, they were so nice! We sent over a police outfit with the number 24 on it (Dan's number is 124), that we had purchased 4 years ago when we were trying to start a family. It is amazing how God works! The other picture is of Blake holding the puppy and our photo album that we sent over. We can't wait to hold and kiss him! We are going to Indy later in the month for fingerprinting to make Blake a US citizen when we arrive back in the states. We are going to the children's museum and have some family fun (giving Dan a break from working on the all most finished house!)
Here are pics of Avery, she is growing so much, and she is talking so much! The other day we read a book with giraffes in it, then at supper she was taking a bite out of her roll and said "look mommy, 'iraffe". This kid did that all on her own, what an imagination! I'm a little slow on blogging, so here is her Valentines dress, and a pic of her and Bentley cuddling on the couch watching "Happy Feet".

Winter Days...

2010-02-05T21:16:00.004-05:00

Today we had a good snowfall. So I bundled Avery up for her first "snow play". She loved packing it and throwing it. We didn't stay out too long. Avery loves books. Her favorite one right now is "The Very Cranky Bear" by Nick Bland. She makes a "roar" sound then says "Anky Bear". When she reads the book, she kisses the bear to make him happy. We are getting a care package to send to Blake. Nana Kathy made a beautiful blanket and Nana R. picked out a cute, soft puppy. We have a picture book of the family to send over, and a little police outfit that I bought 4 years ago. We included snacks for the caretakers and paintings by Avery. Here is the latest picture of Blake, they say he eats well and fast, and when he cries, he waves his arms as if he is swimming. We can't wait to hold and kiss him!

Staying Busy!

2010-01-31T18:11:00.003-05:00

January is very cold for us in Indiana. So Avery has been staying very busy inside. She loves to cook with her kitchen, but most times she needs to wear high heals to cook (just like mommy ha ha!). She loves painting and coloring. Anything with Nemo on it, she points out, so here is her Nemo ribblon as a headband. When Papaw and Nana came over Avery enjoyed story time (and Benny did too!). We are ready for warm weather to play outside (with Blake here too!).

What Does Her Sign Say?

2010-01-18T00:07:00.003-05:00

Well, we got another call that changed our lives tonight... We got a call from the director of the orphanage where Avery is from, asking

if we would like a SON!!!! We applied in November and we didn't think it would be this soon to be matched. I'll post pictures of Blake Eugene Wei Chen as soon as I get them. He was born 12/22/09, weighing 7.6 lbs. He and Avery have different birthparents, but they are now brother and sister.
Wow... we have so much to do! Oh dear!!!

What We've Been Up To....

2010-01-17T04:52:00.003-05:00

It's been a busy month so far. I'm working extra, the house project is coming along, and Avery keeps amazing us. She is such a little princess. She now has a kitchen set from Christmas, and she feels that to properly cook she needs a tiara, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and of course fancy shoes. She is talking more and more... She actully said "Good girl, Mommy" yesterday. We enrolled her in a Kindermusik class, and she enjoys listening to music, and doing different actions to the music. It's a train theme, so we call it "Choo Choo" class.
We also filed for an Indiana-issued birth certificate. This should help when enrolling her for school, applying for a driver's and (gulp!) marriage license. We went before a judge, and in 5 minutes we were done. I was a little intimidated!
And finally, Bentley got neutered. He is doing great, still barking and running through the house, yet he constantly picks at his stiches. So here he is modeling the latest fashion for dogs without self-control.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning!

2009-12-29T20:39:00.001-05:00

While Dan had to work on Christmas Eve, Avery and I listened to Christmas music as we (me) made cookies. Avery was entertained by the 8 foot inflatable Santa outside our window (our neighbors put it up just for Avery). She kept pointing to it, saying "Santa". She colored a picture for Santa and we left milk and cookies for him. Christmas morning, we read the Nativity story (Avery's book), then we opened presents. Avery loved her kitchen set, she has many accessories to go with it. Dan wins "Husband of the Year" award for our wedding picture framed to go in our new bedroom, and a TV with a DVD player to go above our new tub (I wanted a fireplace, yet that wasn't in our budget, so he got me a fireplace DVD to play while I soak in the new tub!). We had a very busy weekend celebrating with family and painting the new addition (it's coming along!). Hope you all had blessed holidays and have a safe New Year!

Christmas Pics!

2009-12-16T06:06:00.005-05:00

Avery this year.....

Avery last year....

My, times goes by so fast...We had a fun night at my friend Misty's, who took some beautiful pictures of Avery. Things are pretty busy here, we enjoyed our nephew's Christmas program last night (he did AWESOME) then enjoyed some Pizza Hut. Avery stayed awake until 10:00, we had fun making her giggle (she gets really giggly past 7:00). Dan and I would crawl into her room while she was in the crib....She laughed so hard, she would snort!!!

Christmas Tree!

2009-12-11T15:35:00.004-05:00

I love decorating for Christmas, and Avery enjoyed helping too. We have a tree upstairs and one downstairs. We have yet to "officially" take family pictures, so I attempted some Avery dressy shots...(I won't quit my day job!). Every day is such a blessing with our little one. We have all been sick this past week, and now are all doing much better. I had the opportunity to speak at our church's Christmas brunch last Saturday, and shared our journey to Avery. We are very thankful for the Fleck family (see link to the right), for their support and prayers along the way.

November Notes...

2009-11-29T19:42:00.002-05:00

It has been a great couple of weeks. Dan and his family has been working hard on our addition. We are almost ready for drywall. Avery and mommy have been passing the time by putting up the Christmas tree and decorations. Avery loves wearing daddy's hat and she discovered that Bentley makes a pretty good dolly substitute. She is talking more and more, she repeats alot of things back now! She loves kissing pictures of Elmo in books, kissing her horse "Honey" and waving bye bye to pee pee in the potty (still working on potty training). She is such a blessing!
Oh yeah, this last picture is titled "Where's Avery"... these are the necessities she has to have by her when she goes to sleep-and she knows which one is missing if we accidentally left it out!

Gotcha Day Party

2009-11-07T20:49:00.005-05:00

Tonight we had family over to celebrate our 1st year as a forever family. We ate Chinese food (fried rice, egg rolls, pot stickers, sweet/sour chicken, asian salad, pomegrantes, and asian pears. I even "attempted" to make cupcakes with the Taiwan flag on them, and we also had fortune cookies. We handed out "take out" boxes with candy as favors, then it was game time. The groups had 3 tasks: 1) move the fortune cookie around the group by using chopsticks, 2) piece together a puzzle of Taiwan, then 3) match the English word with the Chniese symbol. Then we went downstairs to watch a slideshow I put together with our journey this first year.

Then when we were alone, we gave Avery the first of 18 presents (one a year) from Taiwan. She got a touch and feel book about Noah's Ark that is both in English and Chinese.

We are so blessed!

One Year Ago, We Held Her.....

2009-11-05T07:26:00.007-05:00

It's hard to believe one year ago today, we met and held our daughter for the first time. This year has been such a joy for us, and the time went by too fast! God is amazing and every day I am humbled that He chose Dan and I to be the parents of this beautiful, wonderful child. I am also reminded of the extreme decision her birthmother made for Avery, what faith and sacrifice. We are forever grateful for her and find comfort that along her journey she came to know God, and one day we will all be rejoicing together in heaven.

Trick-or-treat!

2009-10-31T19:48:00.002-04:00

This time last year we were scrambling to pack for Taiwan. This year was still busy, first trick or treating at the grandparents, then rushing back to eat supper and hand out treats to visitors. Usually we have 20-30 trick or treaters, tonight wee only had 5!!!! What will I do with all this candy? Avery didn't know what to think of the mime and butterfly...they sure were cute!

New game:

2009-10-25T20:42:00.006-04:00

This game entertained both daughter and doggie (until mean mommy took the ducky away-too much slobber). Here are the directions:

#1- Insert rubber ducky in mouth while doggie watches

#2- Tease doggie that he can't reach it by running and squealing

#3- Get ever-so-close to taunt doggie, extra points for making ducky squeak while holding it with teeth

#4- Play "tug of war" with ducky and see who will win....

#5- Here is the winner, meaning "Game Over", time to sanitize!

The 17 month old gymnist/ Potty Princess

2009-10-17T07:05:00.003-04:00

Avery turned 17 months old yesterday. Time has gone by so fast, she is growing like a weed. She can repeat most colors, animals, and animal noises when she's in the mood. She loves books and music. When she really wants something, she'll do the sign for "please". We just started trying to potty train (thanks to Great-Grandma Maxine - she said her kids were trained by age 1!- we were up to attempt it too!). After 5 sits on the potty yesterday, finally at bedtime we heard "tinkle tinkle". Mommy and Daddy did the "Pee Pee in the Potty" dance, Avery got a potty trophy and put a sticker on her chart. I know it will take a while, but why not start now?

Fall Days...

2009-10-10T05:49:00.004-04:00

Well, fall is here. We went to Mississenewa Battle of 1812 last weekend, and Avery enjoyed the view papoose-style. She loves re-arranging the pumpkins on our front step, and crunching in the leaves. We had some of Dan's family pictures taken a couple of weeks ago too, they turned out so cute. Now I gearing up to celebrate her "Gotcha Day" in November. I'm excited to celebrate! Can't believe it's been a year, the time is going by soooo fast!

Avery the Dancer

2009-10-05T21:01:00.002-04:00

Tonight was Avery's first (and last) dance class. She was so excited at first, even hung out with the teacher. But when parents were asked to leave, she had a breakdown when mommy and Nana slipped out. Even when we all came back in the room, she was Avery the Cling-on. So we will wait until next year to try dance again (if she wants). Here she is even practicing her autograph!

Papa's Got a Brand New Bag...and other fun stuff

2009-10-01T07:03:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the delay in blogging. We've had a busy couple of weeks. Here are some pictures of our little sunshine. Dan got this bag as a birthday gift and discovered an easy way to move Avery from point A to point B.

The last nice beautiful day of summer, Avery enjoyed some corn on the cob.

Then a tornado hit in our home (all of this was done in under 2 minutes flat!)

Fisher-Price, take note... this is the latest toy for Christmas. It has many uses, and entertains baby girl for minutes! I love the pic of her propping her feet up and laying her arms out as if she's comfy. What a cutie!

Look for more pics next week of Avery's first attempt on Mini Movers dance class!

Hawaii Highlights Part 2

2009-09-20T21:51:00.003-04:00

We're still trying to adjust to "Indiana Time". We've been sleeping in later, but finally feeling "normal" again. We're ready to go back (although our bank account won't let us yet!).

ALOHA!!!

2009-09-14T20:19:00.008-04:00

We just returned from 10 wonderful days in Hawaii! The weather was perfect... almost made you forget about the 8 hour flight (where there was a particular little girl who slept 20 minutes of the 8 hours!). We visited Oahu first and stayed at Wikiki beach. We saw Pearl Harbor, window shopped on the "main drag", ate at "The Top of Hawaii" restaurant (revolves up above the city), and splashed at the beach. Then it was off to Maui, where we snorkled, beached it, shopped Lahania, went to an aquarium, and swam in the pool. We are exhausted, so I'll post more pictures later. Wow, vacation goes by too fast!

State Fair!!!

2009-08-20T21:40:00.013-04:00

What a great day at the State Fair on Tuesday. My dad and I have gone since I was small, and now Avery gets to join the tradition. We went to Pioneer Village first and Pappy showed us the tractors his dad used to farm. There was even an "Avery" tractor. Then it was off to the "farm" and Avery put beans, corn, eggs and an apple in her basket, then rode a pink tractor (matched her outfit!), "milked" a cow, planted vegetables, then turned in her crops for "money" which she "bought" a fruit cup. We ate the famous pork chops, passed on the deep fried chocolate covered bacon, and had samples of food grown in Indiana (popcorn, watermelon, elk, lamb, milk, cheese, chocolate covered soybeans, eggs, etc). We walked the midway, rode a tractor, and fed goats, and looked at fish. Avery couldn't stay awake for the last part of the fair, and she slept most of the way home. We were all tired! It was a great day, not too hot, and the rain held off. Can't wait to do it again next year!

15 Months Old!

2009-08-16T20:18:00.003-04:00

What a beautiful Sunday! It was very hot, so Avery cooled off in the pool at Nana and Pappy's. We went to the public pool on Friday, she is fearless!!! She got in an waded around. She even put her face in the water a couple of times. Made mama very nervous.
Today our Avery is 15 months old. This time last year, we were mailing paperwork to TECO and then on to Taiwan. Time has gone by even faster since we've become a forever family. Avery has 9 teeth and 3 almost through. She says "bye bye" "uh-oh" "mama" "dada" "bubble" "papaw" and "bob/pop". We read a toddler devotional every night, and Avery is the one who always wants to read from it, she goes and gets it without being asked. She loves books, examining leaves and rocks, and balloons. She "talks" a lot now, she did on the way home tonight non-stop for 15 minutes (I'd love to know what she is saying!). Avery also folds her hands when we "talk to Jesus" and knows the sign language motion for Jesus too. We had a "bye bye bottle" party the other night - she now drinks from only sippy cups. Before I became a mother, I only thought I knew what love for a child would be like. Now that she's here in my arms, the love exceeds every thought I ever had. Many times I ask myself how did I get so lucky to have such wonderful husband, daughter, family, job, home, dog...LIFE. God has truly blessed me, and at times I feel undeserving. We are all sinners, and Jesus died for us. I guess I get a glimpse of how God feels toward us, His children, every time I see our Avery. Thank you God!!!!

Lollipop!

2009-08-10T20:37:00.007-04:00

There is a commerical on TV advertising Dell Computers. It takes place in a "candy" factory with brightly colored laptops coming on the line. The song is the oldie, "Lollipop". Everytime that commerical is on, Avery stops what she is doing and dances and watches. Nana and Pappy had the song on CD and we listened to it tonight. Avery then decided to make the "pop" sound by watching us put our index finger in our mouth and "pop". She cracks herself up. Here are pictures of her "popping". She is such a fun girl, the other day she was awake in her crib and I peeked in on her. There she was sitting there holding her bear like a baby and patting it's back while "talking" to it.
We also have worked with her on "talking to Jesus" aka praying. She folds her hands together but sometimes scowls, we tell her "Jesus hears us even when we scowl!".
Have I said how blessed we are? Wow, she is such a joy!

14 Months Old

2009-07-17T08:36:00.006-04:00

What a busy week. Avery is now 14 months old. She is still working on getting in new teeth, so she hasn't been her ususal chipper self. Last night we celebrated her birthday by shopping in Kokomo. I broke down and got 2 DVD's of Ni-Hao Ki Lan and the Baby Einstein World Music video. She loves music. We topped the evening off by riding on a "police car".
There are other summer pictures here too. Summer is going by way to fast. I love the "Birthday Suit Pianist". Every night after tubby time, she likes to run around the house to dry off. The other night we had a little side trip on her lap around.

Summer Fun with Friends and Time Out

2009-07-11T07:47:00.002-04:00

We have had a great week so far! Avery and her cousin were in a fashion show on Monday wearing sun dresses that Grandma Kathy had made. Avery loves her cousins! We picked at some flowers, went swimming with some dear friends, and then it happened... Avery had to sit in time out - twice!! It was breakfast time and she flung her hands and spilled her cereal. When I pointed and said "You don't need to do that" she slapped my hand! So she sat in time out for 1 minute. I don't know if she understood, but Dan and I had to walk away because we were laughing! Wow, what a week!

Beach Day!

2009-07-08T21:32:00.003-04:00

We went to a local "beach" and had some pictures taken. Afterwards, Nana and I did a little "photo shoot" of our own. Avery loved the sand and walking in the shallow water. This was her first trip to a beach. By the time her dress was on, she decided to sit down in the water. She splashed and was soaked. But it was such fun. Then we checked out the nature exhibit. We saw chipmunks and birds. What a great day!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T20:46:00.009-04:00

We had a great day celebrating America's "Birthday". Too bad it was raining, so the local fireworks were moved to tomorrow. We went to Nana's and Pappy's for dinner and then to light off morning glorys. Avery was very sleepy, but enjoyed them. My mom takes pictures with a theme each month for a calendar... so here are some pics from her "photo shoot". I am writing this now being serenaded by Bentley going crazy hearing the fireworks going off. Thankfully Avery is sleeping through it!

Zoo Day (Again)

2009-06-20T05:56:00.003-04:00

We went to the zoo again today with Nana. We had a great time, weather was perfect, and the new African exhibit is awesome.

Avery also went to Shipshewana earlier in the week for the first time, what a fun day with Nana and Grandpa!

Happy Camper

2009-06-13T21:48:00.003-04:00

We just got back from a weekend camping by Turkey Run. It was Avery's first camping trip, and she did great! She loved relaxing by the fire, enjoying time with her cousins, hiking on Daddy's back, and swimming at the pool. She did find it hard to take a nap (she didn't), and with all the new sights and sounds fought going to bed. It was dark and I'd hear a noise, turn on my flashlight and find Little Miss playing with the shoes on the floor. Then the light would go out and we'd hear her kicking her feet or knocking on the wall with her hands. She woke up screaming in the middle of the night (unfamiliar place) and quited down after a bit. She is a great camper!

Busy Weekend

2009-06-10T15:57:00.004-04:00

I attempted a "Fun Run" with a friend and her 3 year old. She has a little one that is a couple of months older than Avery, so we decided to run the 1 mile course with the 3 year old, pushing the girls in jogging strollers. We were wore out! It was fun, but tiring (some of the race was in the woods, uphill!). We had a rummage sale then at our house, so here are pictures with Grandpa. Avery has taken a liking to carrying a purse with her when she walks. Can we say "Coach", "Burberry" or "Louis Vitton"?

One Year Ago....

2009-06-05T12:19:00.003-04:00

Our computer has been on the fritz, so I haven't been able to post anything for a while. Things are great here. Avery is walking more than crawling now. She is getting around so fast. We were at the lake for Memorial Day where Avery had her 1st boat ride, she didn't know what to think, but she fell asleep, so I think she liked it.
On June 2, 2008, we received a phone call that changed our lives. "Dan, this is Ted in Taiwan, would you like a daughter?". Then Dan called me at work, and it was a whirlwind from there. Avery has been such a blessing (I know I've said that ALOT). I now put my trust in God more, knowing He has the best plans for each of us. She was worth the wait in our journey to become parents!

Pool Day!

2009-05-22T22:13:00.003-04:00

What a beautiful day! The weather was amazing, so I decided to get out the new pool. Avery loves splashing in the tub, so I thought she would like the pool. I was right, she had such a fun time splashing. She would put her face in the water, but got a little too much, and came up coughing. She was fine and splashed some more. Hopefully we'll get a lot of use out of it this summer!

Bloggers Unite!

2009-05-20T21:20:00.004-04:00

What a great evening with friends. What do we all have in common? Adoption and blogging. Look to the side of my blog and you'll see "My Blog Lists". Check out "The Fleck Flick" and "Journey to Hannah Claire". We had such a great visit, made new friends, and discussed our own journeys. The girls had a great time at the park, thanks again Kevin, Sarah, Hannah Claire, Brad, Carmen, Braylen and Alea!

Birthday Weekend

2009-05-17T19:54:00.005-04:00

Avery is 1!

We woke up Saturday morning and went into Avery's room singing "Happy Birthday" she just giggled and giggled. We had her open presents, a talking tea set, 2 books, squeaky shoes, and a waterbottle with her name on it.

Then it was off to the wedding where Avery was a flower girl. She did great, she was rolled down the aisle, she was waving and giggling the whole time. She made it another 5 minutes before she wanted out, but then was rolled back down the aisle after the ceremony.

Then it was dancing time. She had such a great time "shaking her booty".

This is our little girl at 10:00 pm, she didn't want to go to sleep!

Today we had the family over for the party. She had a lamb cake, and ate it very delicately. She got lots of goodies! Wow, Dan and I had an emotional moment watching a DVD made by a friend (yes Brad, you "did your job"!),highlighting Avery's adoption. Time is going by very fast, we love every second!

Zoo Day!

2009-05-14T19:37:00.004-04:00

What a great day for the zoo! We went to the Ft Wayne zoo for the first time as a family. A little chilly and windy in the morning, but by the afternoon, the sun was out. Avery loved the animals. She saw the monkeys, rode a pony with daddy, rode the carousel, fed the goats, pet a rabbit and guinea pig, took a train ride, and loved every minute. She was asleep in 5 minutes after we got in the car. Then daddy got out his old John Deere tractor that he re-built. He got it when he was Avery's age.

We have a very busy weekend. Saturday she turns 1 and will be a flower girl in our cousins wedding. Then Sunday is party day. We'll post more pictures later this weekend!

She was definitely worth the wait!

2009-05-10T20:21:00.008-04:00

After 3 years of avoiding mother's day (except for with my mom and Dan's mom), finally, I didn't have to put on a brave face at church. My heart goes out to the women who long to hold their own child in their arms. I believe that if God puts the desire to become a mommy in your heart, he will make a way.
Avery was definitely worth the wait! Thank you for all of the mother's day wishes! Happy mother's day to you too!
We had some Florida visitors, friends of the family, who met Avery for the first time. She enjoyed their company and played and giggled alot! Thanks for visiting!
Avery is becoming more independent, she now uses a spoon to feed herself, but sometimes wants to "paint" with the food instead!

FIRST STEPS!!!!

2009-05-07T21:36:00.003-04:00

Tonight celebrating Papaw Randy's birthday Avery decided she would take 2 steps toward Uncle Josh. So we "coaxed" her by holding a play phone a couple of steps away. It worked like a charm, and she made it up to taking 4-5 steps at a time BY HERSELF! She is getting more confident now while standing by herself. Where is the time going? We have been home almost 6 months now. We are so blessed, and this was a great "first" to witness. Now, any advice on baby proofing our house? Thank you God for this wonderful blessing!

Avery's Busy Week

2009-04-26T19:34:00.003-04:00

Well, I was working in the kitchen and I thought it was pretty quiet where Avery was, so I peeked around the corner and found this:

If you go into my older posts, you can pull up a post called "My house was TP'ed". Bentley went crazy with the toilet paper. I think he taught Avery how to take each tissue out of the box one at a time, then shred it to pieces.

Mom and I went to Ft Wayne for a fun filled day of shopping. Avery and I rode the carousel at the mall, and she really liked it until the end. Then she fell asleep as soon as we got into the car.

We are looking forward to great-grandparents coming home from sunny winters. Avery can't wait to meet you!

Beautiful Day!

2009-04-25T17:00:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was our first "official" warm summer day! We could actually wear shorts and we got hot outside! Dan took the day off (3 day weekend - yeah!), and we went on a walk around our neighborhood before heading to hike at Salamonie. Avery did great, she loves the grass and leaves. We got a little hot, and first-time mom mistake, I forgot a hat and sunscreen. So it was a short trip at Salamonie, but still fun. Then we got back and daddy took us around the block on his lawn mower and trailer. Avery was waving to everyone and everything, I think she would do great in a parade! Praise God that the beautiful weather is finally here!

More Pics of Miss Avery!

2009-04-22T20:51:00.002-04:00

Early Birthday Shots by Aunt Sarah

2009-04-21T23:01:00.004-04:00

We are getting ready for Avery's 1st Birthday next month. My sister-in-law is a photographer and took over 100 pictures of Avery with her birthday dress, balloons, cupcake, birthday hat, and Bentley. Avery dove right into the cupcake, while Bentley gobbled up the crumbs. It is so hard to pick just 5 pictures, but it is way past my bedtime, so I'll post more pics later. Thanks Aunt Sarah, AWESOME job! We love you!

11 Months Old!

2009-04-16T19:16:00.003-04:00

Today Avery is 11 months old! It's hard to believe we've been together as a family for 5 months now. She is such a fun little girl, time is flying by! She has started making "mmmm" sounds (not quite mama yet...), she is walking holding onto our hands (sometimes just one handed), and loves waving hello and goodbye. I think we have a future Miss America on our hands! She knows "milk" and "more" in sign language. She is laughing more each day. Avery loves it when you read a book to her, she'll go back through and look at the pictures after it's finished. We are so blessed, God has amazing plans for us!

Easter Part 2

2009-04-12T19:37:00.004-04:00

What a great day to celebrate Jesus! We had such a fun time at church and visiting with family. Avery had an Easter egg hunt with her cousins, met the Easter Bunny, and wore her special Easter dress!

Easter Part 1

2009-04-11T07:18:00.003-04:00

Avery had her first "attempt" at coloring Easter eggs. Nana actually colored them, while Avery played with with plastic ones. She is such a blessing! We are learning sign language now, she knows "milk" and "more". "BA" is her only sound still, which we know she loves the Beach Boys and will sing to "Barbara Ann" (Ba Ba Ba Ba Barb Barbara Ann). She loves books, and reading. She likes the touch and feel books and the books that count down with 3-D shapes (8 silly monkeys, Good night Sweet Butterflies, etc). She is almost walking on her own, she can walk holding onto 1 hand. She doesn't like to sit in a swing, but she's getting better. Happy Easter, we'll post pictures of her Easter outfit later!

On another note, Bentley had a friend over for a couple of days. He annoyed her to death and she was more comfy on the couch or chair. So it looks like this house is a one dog show.

"One Silly Monkey Jumping on the Bed"

2009-03-30T20:48:00.004-04:00

One of Avery's favorite books is "Eight Silly Monkeys". So the other day when Avery learned how to hold onto the crib and jump, I put her in her monkey costume and she went jumping. Thankfully, she didn't "fall off and bump her head". The jean jumper is a gift from Uncle Dick and Aunt Phyllis, Thank you! The hat is a gift from Grandma Kathy.

Tonight, Nana taught Avery how to make "Indian Calls" by making noises and putting her hand on her mouth over and over. She caught on quick and loves doing it!

Then to wind things down, Grandpa read her a bedtime story about kittens.

What a day! Avery is sleeping good tonight!

Happy Spring!

2009-03-22T19:48:00.003-04:00

Yeah! Spring has Sprung! We have so many cute spring dresses (thanks Carmen!) and we are ready to wear! Here is Avery in her dress, and the headband is from Nana.
Here is a neat "God" thing. Avery has been saying "ba ba" alot for a while now. We have a book "1st 100 Chinese Words" that is very neat. You can log on to their website and they pronounce the words too. So what is "ba ba" in Chinese? Answer: Daddy! She has yet to say "Ma Ma" same in English and Chinese. So we have a bilingual baby! Here are some pics. Avery and Bentley are quite the pair, they get along great.

10 Months Old!

2009-03-15T17:45:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe our little girl is 10 months old on Monday! She is such a blessing to us, we still can't believe how everything has worked out as God planned. She is almost walking on her own, she likes saying "Bah, Bah" (we think it's "bye bye"). She had a cold the other day, so we had to take a picture of the double snot strings. Nana loved "looking" for monkeys with Avery while in Taiwan, so when she saw this monkey costume at a sale, she couldn't pass it up. Bentley is being such a good "big brother" to Avery also, they get along great!

Funny Girl

2009-03-07T20:26:00.001-05:00

Avery's new thing is scrunching up her nose and giving a silly smile. She is so adorable! Also, Avery is going to be a flowergirl in a wedding on her 1st birthday. She is going to be pulled down the aisle in this wagon, so we thought we'd give it a trial run. Benny was there for moral support.

Is it Summer Yet?

2009-03-04T21:54:00.005-05:00

Avery is growing so fast! We had a friend who let us "go shopping" with outfits outgrown by her granddaughter that will be Avery's size in the summertime. We couldn't pass up the bathing suit! She is standing/leaning against the couch (she is walking by holding onto our hands.)Here are some other pictures of a happy baby girl - she has 8 teeth now, 4 on top and 4 on bottom (and yes, they are brushed every day!). We love playing "Ring around the rosy" and she has discovered how to happy scream. Her and Bentley have a contest every night to see who can be the loudest. I came home the other day and found both Avery and daddy taking a nap.

Avery's 1st Haircut

2009-02-19T18:54:00.003-05:00

Dan and I were eating dinner and he said "Avery's bangs need trimmed". I thought "Okay, we'll call someone and set it up". He got up, came back with a wet comb and scissors, and POOF, we have bangs. She did great, she held really still (mommy was very worried!). Daddy also trimmed her fingernails today, so Avery has already experience "spa life" - a baby version!
Dan now has a cold too, so the house has been a little crazy. Avery seems to be feeling better, still snotty though.

When we first came home with Avery, she did not like to be rocked to sleep. She has become quite the cuddler after her night time bottle. This is one of my favorite parts of being a mommy!

Teethin' Time

2009-02-17T21:33:00.003-05:00

Avery snuggling with a blanket made by Great-Grandma Maxine

The past couple of days, poor Miss Avery hasn't been herself. She has some teeth working their way in, and boy, she has the snot a'runnin'. She'll be giggly one minute and screaming the next ("typical woman" Dan says!). She has been saying "Baa" alot, we don't know if its for "Book" "Bottle" "Benny" or "Bad Dog". She can click her tongue and still smacks her lips. She waved "bye bye" last night for the first time, but hasn't done it since. Nana Rapp taught her to high five.

Bentley is part Meerkat

Avery checking out books at her library

Avery practicing on her new walker, she's only taking a couple steps at a time.

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-14T08:31:00.002-05:00

We had Avery decked out in pink and red. She is getting a lot of hair! Anytime I sit her on a chair to take her picture, Bentley feels left out, so he jumps in too. Last night, Dan and I went to a local church to see "Fireproof". It is now my favorite movie. Avery will be 9 months old on Monday, I can't believe how much she has grown. She learned how to give high fives with Nana's help, she grunts when she has her bottle, then giggles when I ask her "are you tootin?". She has 5 teeth, working on a 6th. We can't believe how God has blessed us, and we thank Him everyday for putting her in our lives.

Our Getaway Weekend

2009-02-07T20:52:00.003-05:00

Dan had a mystery trip planned for us, and I had no clue what we were doing (he didn't even tell me about it until 4 hours before we left!). We went to Serenity Springs in Michigan City. We had our own cabin with a whirlpool tub, loft, fire pit. We got there and they took us to our cabin by horse drawn sled. There were no phones, and our cabin was stocked with our favorite pop and snacks. It even had a "butler door". How it works, if we need anything, we write a note and place it in there, flip a switch, and someone will pick it up. They flip a red light that let's us know they left goodies for us. We had movies brought to us, stuff for s'mores, cheesecake, cookies, then muffins and fruit for breakfsast. We had steak dinners delivered to us too. Wow, Danny did good! We even had corn to feed the birds, we had a total of about 80 geese and ducks fighting for it right outside our deck. Then today, Dan even took me to the Outlet mall. I found a lot of cute outfits and books for Avery, nothing for me though! Avery stayed with Grandma and Grandpa R. for the whole night, they had a great time, we sure missed her (and Bentley too).

Super Bowl Party

2009-02-01T21:25:00.004-05:00

We had family over tonight to watch the big game. Dan was mourning the absence of the Bears, so to cheer him up, mommy, Avery, and Bentley matched daddy in Bears clothes (mommy is still a Colts fan though). We had a fun night, Avery is so fun, we are so blessed.

Look at those top 2 teeth!

Chinese New Year

2009-01-31T22:07:00.004-05:00

Bloggers Unite! Here are some of the stars of "The Fleck Flick" "Awaiting Avery" and "Journey to Malia", it's a race to see who posts the pictures first!

The lovely cupcakes Tonya will never do again, yet they were so cute and creative, thanks Tonya!

Avery and her best bud, Braylen

Yes, we know it was last week, but we had such a great time celebrating the Year of the Ox with other couples who are in the process of or adopted from China and Taiwan.
We had yummy Chinese food, such a great time! It was so neat following the blogs, some for over a year, and getting the girls together, we can't wait until Chole gets here!

We played "Pin the Tail on the Ox", the kids opened Red Envelopes - a Chinese tradition.

Lots of New Things!

2009-01-24T21:31:00.006-05:00

Our little girl is 8 1/2 months old. She has been doing a lot of new things. When she wakes up now, she greets us by standing up in her crib.

Today she stood up in her walker and "speed" walked right into mommy's toe before I had time to react! She can almost walk the length of our kitchen and dining room at one time!

I gave her a "biter" biscuit today, very messy, but I think she liked it (she didn't finish it all).

And she tried a little water in a sippy cup, she caught on pretty fast.

A new hairdo in the tub tonight, what do you think?

New Dress and Mommy's Helper

2009-01-19T20:53:00.003-05:00

Meg's coworker and friend, Kathy, spotted this dress at Macy's. She got a great deal on it after Christmas. It has an "Asian" look to it, and fits her perfectly! Thank you for thinking of Avery, Kathy!
I had help (un)folding the laundry tonight. Avery is such a happy baby. She studies things and takes her time "evaluating" the things she holds on to.

Snow Day!

2009-01-14T19:22:00.008-05:00

I came home early from work due to the snow (people seem to not want to get their teeth cleaned when there is a lot of snow). So we watched daddy shovel snow (we got about 4 inches at least). Avery and Bentley bundled up to watch him. The bummer is that we cancelled small group tonight too. We're having fun hosting it and ready to see what the year brings.
On another note I think we have a "puff thief" in our house. I set out some for Avery on her walker, and when I looked back, they were almost gone. I don't think our innocent puppy would have an appetite for the puffs, he's probably just protecting her (and the food) from the "theif".

More Pictures!

2009-01-05T19:37:00.005-05:00

I am so blessed to have friends that love to take pictures. My good friend Misty has a photography business and she took these pictures of Avery. I can never get tired of looking at our daughter! Today was the 1st time she pulled herself to standing today, Dan called me at work to tell me. She is getting her top 2 front teeth in too. She is such a blessing, we thank God everyday for the trials and blessings that brought us together!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T22:47:00.007-05:00

What a great day to celebrate Jesus's birth! We woke up to a happy, smiling baby. We made cinnamon rolls chai for me, coffee for Dan, and formula for Avery. We read Avery's storybook of the birth of Jesus. Then we opened presents. Avery wanted to eat the wrapping paper. She got a piano that plays music on it's own or if she presses on the keys. We have a lot to be thankful for this year. Last year at this time, I had little hope of having a child. But God had different plans, and here we are holding a beautiful 7 month old daughter. We are so blessed. Avery loved pounding on the wrapped packages, she giggled alot! We had a great day!

Up, Up and Away!

2008-12-22T20:20:00.008-05:00

Our little girl is a crawling machine. About a week ago I went into the kitchen, came back out and she was sitting up, plain as day. I didn't "count" it because I didn't officially see it. So I waited while Nana Rapp, Grandpa Rapp and Daddy each at different times saw her sit on her own. Finally last night she gave me a performace of sitting on her own 3 times - so now it's official. She also started pulling herself up in her crib (yes, we lowered the mattress). Tonight she grabbed hold of the side of the couch and up she went (one handed even).

Okay, this picture I helped her stand, but she stood there for a couple of seconds when I wasn't holding on! Wow!

Go Colts - sorry Daddy, we know you love the Bears!

Merry Early Christmas!

2008-12-11T06:59:00.006-05:00

We had pictures taken at our house last week. I never dreamed last year at this time we would have traveled to Taiwan and back with our daughter. We cherished Thanksgiving, celebrating with friends and family, and I can't wait to enjoy Christmas this year. For any of you waiting to add on to your family, and your timing isn't the same as God's, hopefully our story will give you hope. For 3 Christmas's my "hope meter" ran almost empty. God has wonderful plans for us, and He sees the big picture when we don't.

My sister-in-law, Sarah, is starting a photography business. So here are some of the pictures she took of us last week. There were so many good pictures, it hard to just add a few. It took me an hour to decide what 2 (only 2!) to use for our christmas card. If anyone is interested in having pictures taken, Sarah's email address is: kathyhendreson@verizon.net

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-24T10:14:00.003-05:00

We are ready for Thanksgiving! I am having so much fun dressing Avery up. The light pink dress I wore when I was little (Martha's Miniatures's with a little bell). The burgandy and cream dress is an Alea dress (thanks Carmen!). The turkey is from Nana Rapp's class and Avery's Thanksgiving outfit says "little turkey" on the feet. The green shirt says "new in town". She is stylin'!

Avery's Adjusting

2008-11-22T08:49:00.002-05:00

Sorry it's been awhile since our last blog, we've been busy. Avery has been great. Still a runny nose (I think she's teething). She had some shots and blood work earlier in the week, everything checked out great. She's been shopping twice, and that threw her off her sleeping schedule. Probably having nightmares of others getting the bargins before her! ha ha.
Dan's back to work, I go back in 3 weeks. It's hard to believe it's been almost 3 weeks since we left for Taiwan. Wow.
She is such an amazing baby. She loves rubbing your face when you feed her a bottle, she loves watching Bentley (he is kinda protective of her, in a nice way). I am getting less sleep, but I love being a mommy, it's still so surreal. It kinda hasn't hit me yet, we're having so much fun.

First Day Home

2008-11-11T18:09:00.003-05:00

Here are more pictures of our baby girl. We all have colds right now, due the the temperature change, Dan has the worst of it. Avery was up a little during the night, welcome to parenthood! She is amazing, she loves to bounce and stare at her hands. She is smiling more and more. Tonight Bentley and Miss Avery will meet for the first time!

Home at last!

2008-11-11T04:21:00.003-05:00

We had such a great time in Taiwan. I am recoving from the opposite of jet lag, I can't sleep. So I'm up at 4:30 am typing away. Avery is an amazing traveler. She did great on our 23 hours of travel time. She even began her first crawling movements at the Detroit airport. When we arrived in Ft. Wayne, there were about 20 friends and family there to welcome Avery home! It was great celebrating with everyone.
The food in Taiwan was different, but I liked most of it, since I love Chinese food. We had rice at almost every meal. It felt like "Fear Factor" our last night, Dan had to eat a fish eyeball. He did! YUCK!
We bought many souveniers for Avery, we plan to give her one each year on her "Gotcha Day" - thanks for the idea, Brad and Carmen!
I'm going to catch up on some sleep now, I'll post more later!

Great Sleeper!

2008-11-07T22:45:00.002-05:00

This was the 2nd night Avery stayed with us and she slept GREAT (7:45 to 7:30) Pray that she'll do this good on the plane ride. Yesterday we went to a National Park, Tarodo. Beautiful, but Avery stayed at the home, it would have been to long of day for her. We have Dan's luggage, praise the Lord. We are tired and mom is not feeling well due to the different foods. She's doing better today. Avery is such a happy girl. The memory card reader isn't working today, so I'll try to upload pictures before we leave, if not, sorry! I'll make up for it. We have been having fashion shows with Avery, since we over bought clothes when we just found out about Avery. She is a trooper. We are so excited to come home. All of the paperwork is completed. Thanks for your prayers. We hope to be home MOnday night.
Love you all!

We're Together!!!!

2008-11-06T06:09:00.004-05:00

What a great day. It's official! We had our AIT appointment today. Avery was with us all day, she is a great shopper. So far she only cries when she's hungry or tired or needs changed. Today when she cried with grandma, as soon as I held her she quieted down. We went to a local marketplace in Taipei and spent too much money. We just got back from devotions, how moving! Thanks all for your prayers, we miss you all, enjoy the pictures, more later!

We Have Her!!!

2008-11-05T03:27:00.002-05:00

After a LONG plane ride, we were met at Taipei by the director (Avery was at the orphanage sleeping since it was so late). This morning he came to our apartment, and there she was!!! She went right to us, and Dan can make her laugh so easily. We went for a walk, now Grandma Rapp is rocking her to sleep. I don't know how to upload photos, so when we get back I'll make up for it. Today we went to tea fields and a Buddhst temple (creepy). It has been a great day, she is a happy baby. We have an appointment at AIT tomorrow. On a side note, I miscounted how many suitcases to account for when we left Taipei. Northwest still has Dan's suitcase (all of his clothes are in it) Luckily we'll get it back Friday morning. We heard Obama won the election. Pray hard.
I'll try to post more later. Kim, Kaley is doing amazing, we fed her and she loves to laugh. I'll get you the pictures when we get back. Carmen, AWESOME!!
Thanks for your prayers. Avery can't wait to meet Grandpa Rapp, Uncle Josh and Aunt Sarah, and cousins Cody and Zoey. Great grandparents, prepare to spoil!!!

Leaving Today!!!!

2008-11-03T04:31:00.002-05:00

Wow, we can't believe it is finally here. It's 4:30 am (I can't sleep), so I thought I'd update this now. Next time I update it, Avery will be in our arms!!! It still hasn't hit me yet that I'm a mommy. I think the emotions will set in at baggage claim right before we see her. Wow. Thanks Brad, Carmen, Braylen, and Alea for coming over and praying with us last night. Thanks everyone for your prayers. I hope I can figure out how to upload pictures while we're over there (if not, I'll make up for it when we return). Wow, the day is finally here. Wow.

Travel Plans

2008-10-31T04:36:00.002-04:00

Here are our tentavie travel plans:

Leave Fort Wayne Nov 3rd 10:23 am
Arrive Detroit 11:30 am
Leave Detroit 1:00 pm
* I think we have a layover in Osaka, but we don't switch planes.
Arrive Taipei at 8:50 pm - Tuesday Nov 4th (8:50 am Tuesday Indiana time - I think)

November 10th
Leave Taipei 8:20 am
Arrive Detroit 11:30 am (I think we have another layover in Osaka, but don't switch planes)
Leave Detroit 5:08 pm
Arrive Ft. Wayne 6:05 pm Monday Nov 10th

Still freaking out, lots to do!

Taiwan Bound!!!!!!

2008-10-30T06:00:00.002-04:00

After a very stressful week of waiting on the call, I checked my email this am, and there were 2 emails from Taiwan. Our final paper is back!!! We had a flight booked for Monday and today we had to cancel or book the flight. Book Baby!! Wow, now to pack, sort, wash, oh my. Our small group went to a church last night, there was worship and a drama. It was so moving, not a dry eye in the church. I felt God's presence as if saying "I'm here". Wow, great news. Ok, more later, I'm freaking out right now!!!

So Close, So Far...

2008-10-23T18:29:00.002-04:00

We had seats reserved to fly on the 27th, and we had to cancel. Things are very hectic at the orphanage, the directors just returned from a month in the states, so we couldn't reach anyone when it was down to the wire to book or cancel. Hopefully we can travel the 1st week in November.
On the good side, we spoke with Avery's foster mom(FM)last night for an update. We asked how Avery was doing, and FM said "she's right here, do you want to talk to her?". OH MY GOODNESS!!! Dan and I heard our daughter for the very first time. She sounded happy, just jabbing away. It was the bright spot in our sad night. Avery is eating and growing well. She is in good hands, we are very blessed.

Baby Shower!

2008-10-18T19:33:00.008-04:00

Kathy, Sarah, Carmen and my mom plannned an AWESOME baby shower for Avery. There were so many great friends and familly there. It had an Asian theme, complete with plum blossom decorations, fortune cookies with Bible verses, lanterns, Chinese words on goodie boxes, even a panda bear on the cake! There was a slide show of Avery pictures with cute music too. Great job guys, I loved it! I am so blessed!

We received so many cute things from the shower:
Toys

Sleepers

Bedding & Stuffed Animals
Clothes, Clothes, Clothes!

Bath Supplies

Travel Essentials

Books

Even a wagon (her flower girl ride!) and playpen!

Even Bentley got a T-shirt from Grandma Rapp, I love what is says:

New Photos!

2008-10-13T13:00:00.003-04:00

We received a new update and pics of our little girl. She is growing and growing! Hopefully we will travel by the end of the month!

1st Court Paper Back!!!

2008-10-03T20:52:00.001-04:00

We just got off the phone with Anna in Taiwan, she said our 1st court paper arrived today (we thought it would take 1 month, it has been 9 days!). She said we could possibly plan on traveling in 2-3 WEEKS!!!! Wow, God is awesome!!! Now we are running around cleaning, organizing, packing, aughhhhh! Wow.

Surprise Scrapbook Shower!

2008-09-28T21:07:00.008-04:00

Last Sunday we went with our friends Jeff and Karen to our other friends house (Brian and Julie's) for the boys to watch football and us girls would scrapbook. We went down to the basement and there were my friends and family saying "Surprise!". I was soooo surprised! My small group had a scrapbook shower for me (I didn't know if I was going to have a baby shower before Avery would get here, so the girls got creative and stocked me with scrapbooking paper, stickers, ribbon, stamps, and totes and a table top organizer). Then more of the guys came over to watch football - they had to bring a pack of diapers or wipes for "admittance"! Here are some of the pictures my sister in law took. Julie got creative with the refreshments - pacifier candy and rubber duck punch. We have the best friends, we are truly blessed. We thank God for you all, thank you for your prayers! On another note, if you have stock in Hobby Lobby or Jo Ann's, it might go down, because I won't need to shop there for scrapbooking supplies for like 20 years!

Court Date Update

2008-09-24T08:59:00.002-04:00

Court met in Taiwan yesterday (3:30 am our time). We received word that it went well, Avery's birthmother and grandfather were there. Anna said Avery's cheeks were getting chubbier! She also said that we could estimate our travel time for 2 months (Thanksgiving!). The judge has been known to draw the paperwork out over a period of time, but the past couple adoptions, she has been faster. Thank you for all that have prayed, some of you setting your alarm (like we did) to pray exactly at 3:30. So, drink some coffee, wake up, and pray some more! Like Carmen said, I hope she likes pumpkin pie!

My House Got Toliet Papered!

2008-09-18T20:46:00.005-04:00

I was taking a shower and I hear "whffft, whffft, whfft" I look out from behind the curtain and see the toliet paper spinning at the speed of light off the holder. So here I am soaking wet running through the house to find about 12 feet of toliet paper leading to the place my puppy goes when he knows he has something he shouldn't.

I didn't know if to scold or laugh, it was just so darn cute, he's never done anything like it before. He knows when I'm pre occupied to behave badly!

And finally... the "I wouldn't do such a thing" look - notice the piece of toliet paper off to the side by his mouth!

WE HAVE A COURT DATE!

2008-09-15T22:25:00.002-04:00

We just got off the phone with Ted and Bev at The Home of God's Love. It has been over a month since our paperwork was sent to the courts, and we hadn't heard yet of our court date. I called Carmen about what to ask when we call, and I joked "wouldn't it be funny if we had a court date like next week, and we just didn't get an email?". Well God has a great sense of humor. When we spoke with Ted, he said he has sent us 2 emails (I didn't receive them) telling us that our court date is SEPTEMBER 24th at 3:30 pm (3:30 am our time). We were so surprised! Then we spoke with Bev about updates on Avery, she is doing well, she's now with a loving foster family, who is spoiling her and another little girl (her bunkie). We're not getting our hopes up, but possibly traveling around Thanksgiving. God is so good!!!!
Jeremiah 29:11

Gifts from Grandma

2008-09-13T20:48:00.004-04:00

My mom has been working on a "secret project" for the past month. She had a bookcase and put it together. She wanted to paint it pink (it was shiny white), and had a heck of a time putting the paint on (she ended up sanding, priming, and touching up alot!). Tonight, my parents came over and I was banned from Avery's room for 20 minutes. This is what I saw when I walked in:

She is a retired school teacher, and this is her 1st grandchild. So as you can see, she is pretty excited. I grew up loving to read, and the books will be great for Avery (she's stocked for a while!). Some of the books even have stuffed animals to go along with the story! I don't know if you consider this spoiling.....

2nd attempt at digital scrapbook

2008-09-12T03:51:00.000-04:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Nursery accessories...

2008-09-06T16:06:00.004-04:00

Dan got this for me the day we got the call about Avery. Her name "Shr-Pyan" means Book of Psalms, he just had to get it. Also why we chose brown and pink as the nursery colors. I found this onsie almost 2 years ago, hopefully it will still fit her when we go to her!

I found this sign at Target, it is apporpriate, because it has "adopt" and "patience" - don't you think?

As of now, we are still waiting to hear about a court date. It's been almost 3 weeks (usually it takes 2 weeks). Then they will apply for a court date which could be 6 weeks from then. I am getting impatient, but our process has gone faster than most, so I can wait longer (I guess). God has this plan for all of us, I know it will be awesome!

Growing Girl

2008-08-29T21:57:00.002-04:00

We got together tonight to celebrate Dan and I's birthday. Right before the party we received a new update and 4 pictures. Avery is sleeping through the night and loves playing with her toes. She has a cute laugh they say. She is such a cutie!

Avery's Room

2008-08-29T16:55:00.004-04:00

Bentley says the bed is comfy, ready for Avery!

Our Adoption Timeline

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Dan and I experienced 2 1/2 years of infertility (I have PCOS) and 1 miscarriage May 18th, 2007. We began our adoption journey by having some friends over for dinner to answer questions April 1st, 2008. They have adopted 2 daughters, one from where we are adopting.
April 2nd - Emailed application to our agency
May 19th - Called our agency to check up, spoke with the head of the agency, he sounded
discouraged, and I was going to contact another agency on my lunch hour tomorrow.
May 20th - Our agency contacted our references, we were very surprised, after the
conversation we had the night before. We received 6 emails from our agency in 1 week, asking us to check on our references.
May 29th - All references are in. We scheduled our homestudy.
June 2nd - Dan received a call at home, our agency asking if we would be interested in a baby
girl! Of course he said YES! He called me at work and asked me the same question- I cried tears of joy, called the grandmas! We celebrated that night with dinner and a party! Tsai Shr-Pyan "Book of Psalms" was born May 16th, 2008 (2 days shy of 1 year from my miscarriage - GOD IS SO GOOD, I had prayed that He would make me a mommy before the year mark).
June 3rd - Received 1st pictures of our daughter - she's beautiful!
June 5th - Homestudy appointment in Indy. Got our fingerprints completed and background
checks. Busy day!
June 6th - Meg's physical
June 8th - Filled out I 600 A form (needed for Avery's visa)
June 10th - Dan's physical. Homestudy visit at our house.
June 13th - 22nd - Much needed cruise vacation - away from paperwork!
June 24th - Completed 10 hours of online Hague Treaty classes (a requirement for homestudy)
June 30th - Meg had to have fingerprints done again, 1st were smudged. Adoption dinner at
a friends house with 2 other couples adopting from China. A great pick-us-up!
July 2nd - New pictures and update on Avery. Cries alot, good eater, loves to cuddle!
July 7th - Homestudy completed, made revisions.
July 16th - Homestudy 100% completed, copies mailed to Taiwan to be translated.
July 20th - Painted Avery's room pink and brown (with the help of Grandpa and Grandma)
July 25th - Power of Attorney faxed to Taiwan, ready to be translated.
July 30th - ASC for CIS fingerprints, Homeland Security.
August 3rd - New pictures of Avery, she's filling out, beautiful baby girl!
August 4th - Translated paperwork is on the way back to us to be notorized and sealed.
August 5th - Received paperwork from Taiwan, they receieved our care package with 18 outfits, a talking picture frame with our voices, a teething photo album, a teddy bear, and a blanket.
August 9th - CIS sent paperwork -fingerprints came back good!
August 11th - Went to Indy for Secretary of State seals on paperwork, went to Fed/Ex and
mailed to TECO in Chicago.

August 14th - Paperwork back from TECO, mailed to Taiwan to our agency.
August 18th - They received our paperwork.
August 19th - Paperwork in Taiwan courts, applied for a court date.
August 29th - New photos of Avery, she's growing! Latest update, she loves playing with her toes and has the cutest laugh. We can't wait to hear it!

September 24th - Court date
October 3rd - 1st paperwork back from court, prepare to travel in 2-3 weeks!
October 30th - 2nd paper back from court, ready to travel! Praise the Lord!
November 3rd - Leave for Taiwan!
November 6th - Gotcha Day!
November 10th - Home from Taiwan.

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Each photo we receive, it's harder because we want to be there to hold her.

2nd photos (June 2008)

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We received these photos the beginning of July. She is about a month old.

Avery Lynn Shr-Pyan

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